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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Wildlife Portrait

Andreas Kanon

New member
Thanks Asher, glad to hear you like it.

Raptor migration in all its glory can be viewed at Lake Erie Metropark in Michigan.
Record numbers are 500.000 birds of prey in one day.

It is something that must be seen in person.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Thanks Asher, glad to hear you like it.

Raptor migration in all its glory can be viewed at Lake Erie Metropark in Michigan.
Record numbers are 500.000 birds of prey in one day.

It is something that must be seen in person.
That boggles the mind! Think that each one of them must eat how many creatures per day? Do they become cannabalistic when the small bird supply runs low?

Asher
 

doug anderson

New member
2006_08 Wildlife Portrait_01

349092924_MFp8s-L.jpg


At Old Saybrook Point.
 

Walt Conley

New member
This shot took several tries to get the framing and focus correct. I never practiced holding a peanut, composing a blind shot with my left hand and worrying about getting my finger bit all at the same time. Taken with a Canon G7.

The Temptation
original.jpg
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Walt,

I really like this. The squirrel is not the subject and it's not about the squirrel. It's self referential to you, denying and claims of a portrait. I'm reminded of Magritte*, who was humorous about seeing what "is".

original.jpg


"l'atteinte à cet écureuil"

"C'n'est pas un écureui" nor Il ne s'agit pas d'un écureuil", "This not is about a squirrel", but "l'atteinte à cet écureuil", a relationship! As you reach out we become ourselves part of this too. This gives value to this brief meeting. To the squirrel it's risk, while to you a tactic to get your picture. You paid the for your picture but, alas, you did not get consent!

Asher

I'd consider cropping off the left edge. This will place more attention on the squirrel deciding what to do.

*Thinking of Magritte, "Ce ne'st pas une pipe."
 

Walt Conley

New member
Asher-
Thank you for the suggestion. I will try the crop and see if I like it. This was a fun shot that took several attempts to capture the image I imagined.
 
Such pleasant images in this thread! I finally decided that I would like to contribute an "environmental portrait" to this thread - an elephant in the "wild" (if such a thing still exists today - it's in one of our many areas of protected land here in South Africa) that we encountered this past weekend:

Close encounter
12169094536_7b72907e98_o.jpg

(Olympus E-5, Zuiko Digital 35-100mm f/2.0, processed in the open-source RawTherapee on Arch Linux)

This is one of the largest elephant bulls that I have personally seen "in the flesh" - it was absolutely magnificent.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Jake

A zebra, monkey and guerrilla! Tell us where these were discovered!

Did you travel recently or is this in a zoo?

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief





I hope photos of zoo animals are acceptable. I can't afford a safari.

original.jpg

Dallas Resident Relaxing


large.jpg

Winston Mitchell © 2006_08 Wildlife Portrait_01


Camera: K/M Maxxum 7D
Lens: Minolta AF 100-400mm f/4.5-6.7 APO
Exposure: 1/300s @ f/8, ISO 400, RAW
Conversion, crop and slight PP done with Lightroom



The heron was a few feet away separated from me by a twiggy, leafless tree. I found a small "hole" in the tree giving me a clear view of his head. I setup the tripod and camera and made the exposure. The OOF twigs and backgound brush blended together.


Hi

Well this particular image started me on the course that led me here.

This was taken the day after I bought my brand new EOS 300D. I wanted to give it a try so i was off to Marwell Zoo, had not been there in more than 20 years.

A few hundred JPGS later ( Didn't know what RAW was back then..... Still not too sure now!!) and i had this one on the card. I have been back many times since and have not seen the leopard sitting on the same branch. He was only there for around 30 secs, just time for 2 shots. When i saw this i was hooked again .... I could now take pictures and not worry about film costs anymore! no more 36 shots back from the processors and put 35 of them in the bin or left in a drawer somewhere.

Little did i realise that a whole new area of expense was looming... software... memory cards.... ink... oh and equipment..... L lenses!!!! the list was endless.

But after all the expense and the errors and the time spent cursing at a computer screen, you just might one day get an image that makes you, smile, cry, laugh, or just reminds you that there is more to life than work or the worlds troubles.

Go out and capture your memories... as you get older they become more important..

(Steps down from soapbox... looking sheepish.. Rant Over)


John

amurleopard.jpg




Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am so impressed by all the portraits. The ones above are merely a quick sampling of some of the best. So what does it take to go from a picture of an animal to getting some of its essence? What do you find important in this quest?

Asher
 
This is Ruan. He is probably the most famous and photographed donkey in the world... or at least Ireland. He lives on the island of Inis Mór (Inishmore), in the Aran Islands. All of the tours stop by here and feed him (or her, I am not sure) carrots. He's very handsome, don't you think?



James
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
This is Ruan. He is probably the most famous and photographed donkey in the world... or at least Ireland. He lives on the island of Inis Mór (Inishmore), in the Aran Islands. All of the tours stop by here and feed him (or her, I am not sure) carrots. He's very handsome, don't you think?



James,

I have never seen such a social picture of a venerable donkey. He seems pretty special with his pose and the bucolic background. No wonder he's famous!

Asher
 
Thanks guys. He was very photogenic and friendly. Anything for a carrot. If I had to be a donkey I would definitely want to live where he lives.
James
 

Andy brown

Well-known member
James, I just love this image too.

He looks like a lad who might enjoy a Guinness on a chilly afternoon as well.

Because I like the shot so much, I'm gonna ask you to consider, cropping out the tower/mast at top left. I don't think it adds anything to the composition and the slightly tighter crop might only serve to bring even more attention to his wonderfully textured grizzled fur, lambchops, eye etc.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
James, I just love this image too.

He looks like a lad who might enjoy a Guinness on a chilly afternoon as well.

Because I like the shot so much, I'm gonna ask you to consider, cropping out the tower/mast at top left. I don't think it adds anything to the composition and the slightly tighter crop might only serve to bring even more attention to his wonderfully textured grizzled fur, lambchops, eye etc.

I hadn't notice that line in the upper left, but now it's mentioned, I wouldn't even consider it more than editing out a dust spot or errant diet cola can!

Asher
 
I had not noticed it either. I would however, photoshop it out instead of crop it out. I have too many OCD tendencies to do that. It would throw off the balance too much for me and it would forever make me crazy.
 

Andy brown

Well-known member
I had not noticed it either. I would however, photoshop it out instead of crop it out. I have too many OCD tendencies to do that. It would throw off the balance too much for me and it would forever make me crazy.

Much better idea. It was actually my first thought so I'm not sure why I thought cropping was an option. And we can't have you being crazy.
 

Michael Ritter

New member
This is Ruan. He is probably the most famous and photographed donkey in the world... or at least Ireland. He lives on the island of Inis Mór (Inishmore), in the Aran Islands. All of the tours stop by here and feed him (or her, I am not sure) carrots. He's very handsome, don't you think?



James

Well done James as this is a great pic! Love the editing on it.
 
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